Welcome to The Saddlery Shop’s first official blog!

Most of the blogging will be done myself, Lucy Nicholas - one of the directors of The Saddlery Shop and I hope to be able to cover a wide range of horsey subjects covering everything from booting barefoot horses and bitting to how to choose a winter rug. Look out in the horsey press too, as you can often see my ‘two pence’ worth in the equestrian press such as Horse and Rider or Horse and Hound.

With winter approaching, horse rugs seems to be a good place to start, and many horse owners with be dusting off their rugs and sorting out which turnout rugs are suitable for the inclement weather that no doubt is just around the corner! Horses, like humans, ideally need a wardrobe of horse rugs to cover every eventuality, and having the right rugs will help any horse owner to sleep more peacefully knowing their horse is snug and warm in a good rug. Our horse rug department has an extensive range of rugs from leading manufacturers such as Masta and Weatherbeeta and prices all below RRP. We stock 1000’s of horse rugs so you know you will get the rugs you need when your horse needs them most, as we dispatch them from our warehouse and are not reliant on our wholesalers stock like a lot of companies.

It is possible to cover all eventualities, without having quite as many clothes as the average horsey female (which most horsey partners will be very glad to know!) by using rugs to layer up and do more than one job. To ensure your horse has a rug for all seasons, the following is a suggested list:

• 1 Lightweight turnout (no fill or 100g max)
• 1 Mediumweight turnout (approx 200g-250g)
• 1 Heavyweight turnout with optional neck cover (approx 300g +)
• 1 Mediumweight stable rug
• 1 Heavyweight stable rug (with optional neck cover if draughty)
• 1 Fleece or similar cooler
• 1 Under rug

It is always advisable to have spare rugs in case one gets damaged or soaked through unexpectedly, so it is always wise to look out for a second hand bargain to keep for an emergency too if possible. This combination will allow you to cover all weather and temperatures with the use of layering if necessary, travelling and cooling your horse down and keeping him warm after exercise at any time of year.